Frost dates in Tempe, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Tempe is January 5, and the average first fall frost is January 3, from NOAA's Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport station, 5 miles from the middle of Tempe. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after January 22, and the first one by December 18. That leaves about 363 frost-free days. Tempe is in USDA planting zone 10a.
Weather stations around Tempe
The first row is the date most people in Tempe go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport 5 mi away, 1,107 ft | January 5 1 in 10 after January 22 | January 3 1 in 10 by December 18 | 363 days |
| Tempe Asu 3 mi away, 1,167 ft | February 13 1 in 10 after March 9 | December 5 1 in 10 by November 18 | 295 days |
| South Phoenix 8 mi away, 1,155 ft | January 21 1 in 10 after February 20 | December 16 1 in 10 by November 29 | 329 days |
| Laveen 3 SSE 13 mi away, 1,135 ft | January 14 1 in 10 after February 12 | December 22 1 in 10 by December 1 | 342 days |
| Scottsdale Muni Airport 16 mi away, 1,473 ft | January 6 1 in 10 after February 7 | December 26 1 in 10 by December 4 | 354 days |
Distances are from the middle of Tempe as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 85282, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Tempe covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of Arizona, station by station.
Other Arizona cities: Phoenix · Tucson · Mesa · Gilbert · Chandler · Glendale · Scottsdale · Peoria · Surprise
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer